Two Women In Love
by Daryl Wor
Summary: 1795: Angelique is out to thwart Josette Dupres' engagement to Barnabas Collins, but with a different purpose.(A unique experience again. Not hard to write, very short, pretty trashy but extremely popular. Perhaps that's the problem with Dark Shadows stories now, that's what readers are used to.) Okay, this is back up for an article request. Still bums me out it did so well. :/
1. Chapter 1: The Scent

_Okay, here's a little experiment. Not sure I'll continue *this* one without support, but considering what I've seen around here, I think y'all will like it. Yes, I've given up! I've finally gone into the DS fanfiction world of trash. *huge grin* Let me know if this length is good enough or if I should expound upon this chapter. Thanks!_

Chapter One: The Scent

It was a magnificent day in 1795, Angelique thought as she muddled through Countess Dupres' trunk. She was happy in the knowledge, if only to herself, that Natalie Dupres wasn't so shy in her explorations with men, and it showed in her laundry.

Angelique giggled to herself wondering which maid servant she would bestow the honour upon of cleaning these filthy garments, "Ha!" she thought, "and they think** I** have had a sordid past."

Still, she wasn't too happy seeing that meeting today at Collinwood between Josette and Barnabas. She stood there glaring at them and getting more and more angry with that man.

"You think you've had your way with me, Barnabas Collins?" she thought, "Well, I won't let you have Josette. I can't. You won't be happy after what you did to me. Especially with how drunk you were at the time. What a waste of a good evenings lay."

Then Josette had gone upstairs and Angelique had followed her. She was as supportive as she could be, and while brushing the chestnut hair of Josette she had to reflect that, yes, I know what he sees in her and I get to touch it. He doesn't. Angelique wasn't so enamoured with the 100 stokes idea, but lost herself in the lovely brown tresses of her mistress. Her neck was scintillating. She could agree on that. She could agree on everything except how she's been treated. Thankfully, she knew Josette Dupres had always been her friend.

But Angelique Bouchard wanted more than that.

There was a loyalty in this maid servant no one had wondered about or explored. She made good to dress her as a faithful subject, reached for the bottle of jasmine perfume and then thought better of it.

"No," she thought, "not this time. Enough with that stink of jasmine."

"My lady," Angelique said, doe-eyed, "might we try another scent for today?"

"Oh?" inquired Josette, "perhaps. As long as my fiancé enjoys it, I trust you completely."

Angelique simpered, devilishly.

"Oh, he will. He will," she lied.


	2. Chapter 2: An Unfortunate Response

Chapter Two: An Unfortunate Response

The air split with the high pitched squeal of Millicent Collins voice, truly getting on the hand-maiden's nerves. Down stairs in the main room the young lady who had recently arrived made Angelique feel like a week was an entire month, especially trying to focus on the attentions of her true desire. If only it became cold enough she could crawl into Josette Dupres' bed with her and keep her warm... as well as warming herself, of course. This Collinsport was so very chilly compared to what the two women were used to.

The giggling continued to do something worse than trickle up the stairs. Angelique wondered how long it would be before she would burst into a rage from the rifling annoyance. She found herself reflecting again why she didn't simply take a venture to the more Native peoples of this land. Certainly this part of the New World had unknown riches to offer and hidden powers to share.

But no. She could not leave her lovely Josette. Not until she knew for sure what they might become.

_If I had my way_, thought the sorceress getting distracted by Millicent again, _I'd alter that disagreeable tone for a week and curse her with a baritone. But no... that would give away some form of possession. Hmm... _

She put away The Countess' belongings, now clean, but not exactly removed from the stains of her various affairs. Angelique marveled at the very idea that anyone reading tarot cards that often was considered godly. She packed away the various articles and found Josette in her room. Angelique found herself a little taken aback at the huge smile she wore.

"May I ask what brightens your face into such a vibrant glow?"

"Ah," Josette grinned, almost wickedly if it wasn't for her sweetness, the sweetness Angelique admired so highly now, "it was my beloved... he certainly took a few liberties during our walk together through the woods."

"My goodness!" Angelique responded, not entirely hiding her surprise minus the distaste. The advances that scent she applied were to inspire some rash affection, but she hadn't counted that Josette would be pleased with that. _Oh, dear... what to do?_ She wondered what would have happened had she used the same scent on herself that night of drunken fooling around. Perhaps impotence wouldn't have played so large a role in the evening. "_Bah,"_ Angelique thought, "_not worth considering. I know what I want and I aim to have it._"

The high pitched laughter echoed up the stairs. Josette sniffed, "She is a tad squealish, isn't she?"

"I suppose it comes from having the attentions of Lieutenant Forbes," Angelique offered.

"Well," Josette sighed, "if she wants a soldier... Personally I regard the man as an oaf."

_Ah_, Angelique's heart melted, _a lady of my own heart._

"What did Mr. Barnabas Collins... do... if I may ask?"

"Ohh," Josette said, with mounting pleasure "well, hadn't you noticed the slight change in my wardrobe when I came in?"

Angelique blinked, "I see. The scarf is no longer around your waste, but your neck."

"Lock the door," Josette told her.

_If only it was for the reason I was hoping for_, thought the hand-maiden, as she turned the key in the lock. Josette likely had something to reveal, although hardly enough for her faithful servant.

The silken cloth removed and a rather precise bruise was upon Josette's lower neck.

"Did he strike you?" she asked, attempting not to sound hopeful.

"No," Josette smiled, "he gave me a... a... love bite... at least that's what I've heard it called."

_Soooo... he likes to bite now does he_, Angelique questioned to herself, _this gives me a few ideas..._

"I suppose you'll want all your scarves readily prepared for use from now on."

"Perhaps," answered her lady, "it is a pity since so many of my dresses have lower neck-lines, but, at least he managed to get close to the shoulder and it was quite a thrill, I must tell you."

_I'd rather you didn't_, thought the servant, hiding her irritability.

"It was exhilarating. I could not believe anyone had so much ability to make me feel_... like that_."

If only Angelique had known her mistress would approve of such behaviour. But then again, she likely had never experienced it before. Too bad. That was something either gender could serve to another person. All such parts were certainly shared among the sexes_. I should have tried that sooner._

"My lady does realise, it shall be a long time before it heals, certainly much longer than it took to inflict."

"_Inflict_," her lady opened her brown-eyes wide, almost swooning at the very word, "and so I suppose that word applies_. Enthralling_... Perhaps the memory will keep me from fussing over it. I can bring it all back to me... in my mind."

_Far too happy with him_, Angelique thought, _I'll have to work on this impertinence. That urge to bite and suck just has to be repealed from his desires... or... does it?_


	3. Chapter 3: A Remedy

A Remedy

* * *

**"OH NO! I'M RUINED!" **Millicent Collins cried in the woods while the two men stood there discussing other trifles.

"Oh, good Goddess Persephone... _Who cares?_" Angelique prayed to the heavens, as she riffled through the woods with a concoction for her fair damsel. "I venture NEVER to clean the motherly cloth of _that_ Millicent Collins. She can just as well suffer her monthly agonies on her own! However, _my_ wanton mistress will have _all_ of my attentions."

Angelique, ever the stolid Witch, knew what herbal remedies would serve her own lady's needs to these monthly annoyances. Not that Millicent "Shrieking" Collins would ever deserve that honourability. Ah, no. But Josette Dupres would. And it was lovely, thought Angelique as she regained her composure in the kitchen while boiling the water, "At least My Lady will be served to higher regard and will have some relief."

The kettle bubbled and Angelique steeped the tea. "At last," she said to herself, "perhaps this will prove to her how I care."

Abigail Collins entered the room to sniff.

"Oh, what the hell is she doing here?" Angelique thought. Angelique, herself, knew very well that there was a system above stairs as so below, but Abigail was beyond such concerns. She just had to stick her nose everywhere. "Well," thought Angelique, "I'd love to pit the Countess against that disgusting woman. Even the Countess is better than that one; Whomever she'd been sleeping with! At least The Countess had lovers... not like Abigail Collins. Nasty old wretch... Maybe I'll re-shuffle the deck tonight and see how Madame Natalie Dupres might take a fancy to slapping Miss Abigail... if I can manage to make it happen... I'd just love to see it."

When she stepped up the stairs of The Old House she noticed Barnabas Collins at the door of her Mistress.

"How is she?" he asked in concern.

"As well as a woman can be during such a troubling week... not that you would know, _SIR._"

"Angelique," said the man, "it's not as if I would not wish to. My need to endure what she endures is a burden. To know what her needs may be? I realise we've had our differences in the past, but perhaps with this woman, you and I may understand one another?"

"Perhaps," admitted the hand-maiden, holding her tray of teapot and cup, "but you are not a woman and you shall never know what we suffer to bring further people into this world... _will you?_"

Barnabas Collins nodded abashed and Angelique went in with her tray. He obligingly closed the door behind her.

Josette blinked her brown eyes upon her friend. She lay on her bed and held out her hand. Angelique took it, wanting to kiss the fair skin but not daring.

"I have a remedy that may serve well, my lady." She explained.

"You've always been so good to me." Josette smiled weakly.

"I've always wanted to be, Mademoiselle," Angelique told her, warmly, and put the tray upon the nightstand.

"What is that?" Josette asked, turning on her side to investigate.

"A few steeped herbs to help you along the way," confessed Angelique, knowing her Mistress's trouble and wanting to do more than offer a warming liquid to her.

"Angelique," breathed Josette, "might you console me in another way?"

The blonde hand-maiden was hopeful now. Her brows raised and her eyes lightened.

"In what way do you desire, my mistress?"

"Come closer," begged Josette in her miserable state.

Angelique stepped closer to the bed.

"Allow me your hand," Josette said.

Angelique offered it and Josette took it to hold. Then she placed it below. _Far, far below_.

"You know what to do," Josette yearned, "you've done it before, haven't you? Please... provide me with a release from this treachery. You and I know during this time... we have only... each other."

Angelique pressed down on the area her mistress requested in a strained sense of bliss, wondering if this would finally lead to what she wanted all along.

* * *

_Well, now's the time to voice with reviews. Want me to take this to the M-Rated section? *wink*_

* * *

As you can see I never bothered taking it into that realm. My heart was already broken by the proof that the numbers on this thing skyrocketed for its brief work. No wonder all the true Dark Shadows lovers went into hiding when it came to pass that the likes of this **BS** were all they were getting. I'll admit it's kind of cute, but in comparison to my better work it's pretty shocking to find out what the lowest-common denominator actually is.

After shelling out a week of my wages to OTW, I'm also pretty sick of receiving emails and seeing banners to support that site monetarily. I'm very disappointed in Archive of Our Own. The only thing they do to protect the creators of it is to make guest reviewers type in an email address. If anyone has noticed in the last decade discussion online has dwindled and flaming rarely happens.

Fanfiction dot net protects the work far more by **not** allowing people to download it easily. Nor can one copy and paste to a word file. A03? Just **give it away** for download. In essence? A good idea... but with lower reviewing and discussion, rather heartless. However it does *allow* for longer discussions whereas fanfiction dot net just allows one review per chapter. Too bad that better trait isn't used more often there.


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